Adventures in Cat-Napping

Chapter 7.

"So...walk me through how you ended up agreeing to go with this Ali guy again?" Leo asked as Nora used her body weight to hold her clothes while simultaneously perusing the rail. She had developed a technique over the years, using her body as a means to hold back what she considered 'not worthy' for the occasion and only swaying her hips to allow clothes to enter the discard side of the rail whilst straining to make sure the apparel, on the other side, didn't pass.
It was a worthy workout, and anything she considered worthy for her trip joined the growing pile on the floor, in front of the chair Leo lounged on.

He'd arrived soon after she'd messaged an update on her plans and the road trip the pair of stranger's were about to undertake. She partly knew her brother's presence out of concern, but she was glad for her brother's company. Talking to Patrick the dinosaur lamp, and her other strange objects, could only fill the void she often felt, for so long.

"He was going to sue the pet shop," Nora panted, pulling out a red pair of jeans and adding them to the heap. "And I still haven't told him that it was me who sold the cat. If he went to court..." She didn't need to explain further as Leo nodded, realising her intentions had been out of protection for herself. "So I agreed to go with him if he paid for fuel and...food,"

"So you got a free holiday out of it?" Leo asked as she nodded again in confirmation, pulling out her final item of choice; a pair of green dungarees that would go perfectly with her converse.

"It does sound bad when you put it like that," She added with a frown, falling backwards onto the bed so that her legs hung off the edge. "But yes, I suppose so. This way, I stay well, well away from the law, and he gets his cat back. It's a win, win situation."

"Do you really need so many clothes?" He asked, and she used her elbows to half sit up as they both stared at the ridiculous pile, watching as a fuschia camisole slipped off the summit, and to the ground in slow motion.

"Probably not; it'll just be a few days," Nora chuckled, swinging herself upright and back to her feet. "Come on; I can pack before I leave; let's get some dinner,"

"Are you sure?" He questioned, and she nodded, gesturing her to follow him to the lounge, to where their shoes had been left, before she crossed the room, sliding open the window to expose the fire escape.

"Can't we just use the normal entrance?" Leo complained warily, but Nora had already slipped through, offering her sibling little choice to but follow. It was far too convenient, any other option was easily denied...unless there was a slide, Nora would love a slide.
"Shall we get dessert for dinner instead?" Leo suggested on his final descent, and she grinned, remembering the tradition they had once shared as children.

"Sounds like a plan," She grinned, skipping several steps ahead as they headed deeper into town and onto the busy street.
Their dessert parlour of choice was considered a hidden gem in the town centre. It was small, dimly lit, and the delightful scent of freshly baked cookies welcomed them as they entered.

"So what's he like?" Leo asked as they settled into a green booth. "This Ali guy?" He added, as she offered a puzzled look in return. The waitress had already taken their order without needing to deliver menus, both opting for white chocolate and raspberry cookie dough- extra whipped cream for Nora, providing her the opportunity to illustrate Ali using her words.

"He's odd," She claimed, gaining an amused smile in return. "And I mean really odd...he takes things quite literally, and he's very...demanding, without realising he is. Its sort of like everything has to be on his own agenda,"

"Kind of like you then," Leo pointed out, humoured by her assessment, as she rolled her eyes.

"No, I like things to go my way because, well, that's just me, but Ali doesn't seem to understand things can't go his way. There's a difference, as I said, he's just odd...and he cares a lot about his cat." Her statement gained another chuckle, and this time she joined in. "I'm not kidding Leo; he loves Billy more than...more than I love hot chocolate!"